(John 15:13 NIV) “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

What is the best thing a friend has ever done for you? Maybe your friend stood up for you even though he knew you were wrong. Maybe you had a friend who took the fall for you so that you wouldn’t get in trouble. Perhaps you even had a friend who once saved your life. St. John says in the above verse that there is no greater love that a friend can show another friend than sacrificing his life to save his friend.

And so have you ever had a friend die to save your life? Some of you can answer “yes” to that question. What amazing, self-sacrificing love your friend showed to you! Some of you may answer that question with the answer “no.” Maybe you have never found yourself in a situation that anyone has ever had to lay their life down for you.

But the truth is no matter who you are you can answer “yes” to that question. You have had a friend who laid His life down for you. You have been in a dire situation that you could not save yourself from – you could not save yourself from your sins. But, you have a friend… and his name is Jesus. He saw the dire state you were in because of your sins and He showed you the greatest love possible. He laid down His perfect life and exchanged it for your imperfect life. He took the eternal death you deserved in hell and suffered it in your place and in exchange gave to you eternal life in heaven. He made you, who once were His enemy because of your sins, his friend as He gave to you the forgiveness of all of your sins on the cross! There is no greater love than what Jesus did for you!

So what is the best thing a friend has ever done for you? No matter who you are you can say, “My friend Jesus laid his life down for me, saved me from eternal death in hell, and gave to me everlasting life with Him in heaven! He is my best friend!”